Continuous magnetic separator

Abstract

A continuous magnetic separator, which allows separation of fluid streams containing materials of a wide range of susceptibilities by employing high magnetic gradients distributed in a non-random repetitive pattern throughout the 3 dimensional space inside an elongate non magnetic outer housing which contains the fluid stream. The high magnetic gradients are produced by a multiplicity of small cross sectional area rods, which are a combination of alternating regions of ferromagnetic and non ferromagnetic materials which produce distortions of a magnetic field applied through the non magnetic housing, and produce channels of high gradient field which diverge from the fluid stream direction toward pairs of non magnetic partitions located with openings in the fluid stream flow which form a plenum to divert the flow of higher susceptibility fluid streams away from the main fluid stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A magnetic separator having in combination a non-magnetic elongate outer housing to contain the flow of a fluid stream containing particles with a range of susceptibilities; a pair of adjacently disposed axially oriented non magnetic partitions oriented substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the elongate outer housing in the separation region and having an open end in the separation region, subsequent pairs of partitions being located downstream in the flow direction and offset in the transverse direction from previous partitions, to collect high concentrations of the higher susceptibility particles;   a plurality of small cross sectional area rods comprised of alternating sections of nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic materials, said sections of said rods arranged in a, non random, regular pattern; said rods oriented to produce along the elongate axis of the elongate outer housings in the separation region, a pattern of high gradient magnetic fields which form channels which move the higher susceptibility particles along the direction of fluid stream flow and toward the openings formed by the non magnetic partitions; means for creating in said separation region a substantially uniform applied magnetic field, said applied magnetic field being in a direction to produce along each rod, regions of high and low magnetic gradients, because of the distortion of the magnetic field by the said ferromagnetic materials, said magnetic gradients forming a three dimensional array which form magnetic channels of high gradient fields which move the higher susceptibility particles toward the openings formed by the non-magnetic partitions.   
     
     
       2. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the magnetic field direction and rod direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the flow direction. 
     
     
       3. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the flow direction and magnetic field direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the rod direction. 
     
     
       4. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the flow direction and rod direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. 
     
     
       5. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the rod direction, flow direction, and magnetic field direction are all parallel. 
     
     
       6. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the rod direction, flow direction and magnetic field direction are all mutually perpendicular. 
     
     
       7. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the rods are comprised of non-magnetic materials with sections of said rods coated with ferromagnetic materials. 
     
     
       8. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the rods are comprised of non-magnetic materials with sections of said rods having ferromagnetic materials attached. 
     
     
       9. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 wherein the rods are comprised of alternating sections of non-magnetic and ferromagnetic materials. 
     
     
       10. A magnetic separator as claimed in 1 having many rods with a cross section of any shape and small enough to provide the high magnetic field gradients needed to concentrate the magnetic particles but not so small that the effect thereof upon the applied magnetic field is insubstantial. 
     
     
       11. A separator as claimed in 1 wherein the means for creating a magnetic field is operable to create a field that varies in intensity. 
     
     
       12. A magnetic concentrator that receives a slurry as a continuous flow fluid stream containing magnetic or magnetizable particles and non-magnetic particles and that acts to concentrate the magnetic or magnetizable particles at pairs of transversely opposed non-magnetic partitions, said magnetic concentration comprising in combination: (a) concentrating means comprising a plurality of small cross sectional area, non-magnetic rods comprised of alternating sections of ferromagnetic materials disposed in a separation region, wherein means to provide a magnetic field are provided, said sections of ferromagnetic materials arranged in a pattern to produce high gradient magnetic fields which exert forces on the magnetic particles, said forces in combination with the flow force of the fluid stream move the magnetic particles along a path toward the closest high gradient magnetic field and then in a direction to divert the flow path to the next closest high gradient magnetic field and then to subsequent next closest high gradient magnetic filed regions, said next closest regions of high gradient magnetic fields forming a 3 dimensional pattern which concentrates the magnetic particles in certain regions and depletes them from other regions of the flow stream;   (b) baffled structure means comprising pairs of open-ended, transversely-spaced channels located along the flow path forming baffle openings in the said certain regions of high magnetic particle concentrations and   (c) plenum means connected to receive the contents of the channels which contain slurry with a high proportion of magnetic particles and to exhaust the contents to an output displaced from the fluid flow stream.   
     
     
       13. A magnetic separator as claimed in 12 wherein the magnetic field direction and rod direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the flow direction. 
     
     
       14. A magnetic separator as claimed in 12 wherein the flow direction and magnetic field direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the rod direction. 
     
     
       15. A magnetic separator as claimed in 12 wherein the flow direction and rod direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. 
     
     
       16. A magnetic separator as claimed in 12 wherein the rod direction, flow direction, and magnetic field direction are all parallel. 
     
     
       17. A magnetic separator as claimed in 12 wherein the rod direction, flow direction and magnetic field direction are all mutually perpendicular. 
     
     
       18. A magnetic separator that receives a fluid stream comprising a mixture of gases of positive susceptibility and negative susceptibility with the positive susceptibility greater than the negative susceptibility and acts to concentrate the gases of positive susceptibility at pairs of transversely spaced regions of the stream that comprises; a non-magnetic outer housing to receive the fluid stream which flows through the housing in the longitudinal direction; a plurality of small cross sectional area rods located within the housing, comprised of non-magnetic materials with alternating sections of ferromagnetic materials on said rods oriented to produce magnetic channels of high gradient fields, said high gradient field channels produced by the ferromagnetic materials distortion of a high strength magnetic field and the position of the ferromagnetic materials in the three dimentional space within the housing, said magnetic channels diverting away from the flow path toward said pairs of transversely spaced regions and exerting forces on the positive susceptibility gases to move them toward the pairs of transversely spaced regions; means providing a high strength magnetic field in the space occupied by the rods; and baffled openings located at the transversely spaced regions where the positive susceptibility gases concentrate, and which divert the flow of said gases away from the main fluid stream flow. 
     
     
       19. A magnetic separator as claimed in 18 wherein the magnetic field direction and rod direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the flow direction. 
     
     
       20. A magnetic separator as claimed in 18 wherein the flow direction and magnetic field direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the rod direction. 
     
     
       21. A magnetic separator as claimed in 18 wherein the flow direction and rod direction are parallel and both are perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. 
     
     
       22. A magnetic separator as claimed in 18 wherein the rod direction, flow direction, and magnetic field direction are all parallel. 
     
     
       23. A magnetic separator as claimed in 18 wherein the rod direction, flow direction and magnetic field direction are all mutually perpendicular.